2 Corinthians 2:11(NKJV) 11lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.
2 Corinthians 2:11(NLT) 11so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes.
This week we have studied the comparison between Moses and Jesus. Both were considered deliverers. Both came into the earth at a pivotal time. Both found a people in bondage. Both conquered an enemy and finally both set their people free. In Moses case it was a natural people held by a natural enemy. In the case of Jesus it was all mankind held captive by a spiritual enemy.
The Red Sea incident was brought about in order to completely destroy the power of Egypt to bring Israel back into bondage. Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection did the same thing to the devil. The bible is clear that Jesus not only paid the price for man’s sin, but also utterly defeated the power of the devil. There is no power that can keep us from receiving Jesus as Lord and living the abundant life he died to provide for us.
Although we fight a foe who was utterly defeated by Jesus at the resurrection, he is not inactive. In the above scripture Paul indicates that we cannot be ignorant of Satan’s “devices.” The New Living Translation puts it another way. Satan has evil schemes with which he can and does outsmart us.
Satan has no power over us, but he does have the ability to continue to wage war against us by using his greatest tool, deception. He schemes and plans ways to keep the church from being the Body of Christ and walking in Jesus’ victory. He uses everything in his power to get us to give up our victory, come into agreement with him and bring defeat upon ourselves.
In the life of Israel after the Red Sea, we see that they still complain about Moses and continually try to go back into bondage. What a powerful image for us. Egypt could not get them back. They had no army to send after them. God had won a mighty victory to set them free. However they tried to override that victory with their own will. Let me be clear, nothing could force them back into slavery, but if their flesh had its way they would have gone back anyway.
So it is with us. Jesus won a great victory. Satan has no power over the children of God. Look at what Jesus said after the resurrection.
Matthew 28:18-20(NKJV) 18And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Jesus had all power and all authority. Then he sent us to win the world with that authority. In Acts he also provided the power to back up the authority in the person of the Holy Spirit. There is nothing that can defeat the body of Christ corporately or individually. Nothing except the “wiles” of the enemy.
Let me illustrate this fact from American history. One of the most difficult times in our nation’s history is known as the American Civil War. There was a great battle of that war in the summer of 1863. In that battle the forces of the south under Robert E. Lee were defeated at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
Lee understood that the only way the south could defeat the resources of the north was to win a victory on northern soil that would force the federal government to negotiate a peace. This would allow the southern states to remain a separate nation. He gambled that he could win that battle at Gettysburg. However he did not win. The federal troops overcame him in a rare victory.
Gettysburg effectively ended the Civil War. From that point on the south could not win. They had skill, courage and possibly the greatest general in American history in Lee, but they did not have the manpower or resources to prevail. Even though Gettysburg was really the end for the south, the war went on until April of 1865. Thousands more lost their lives fighting a defeated foe.
Why? Because the south in general and Lee in particular would not accept their defeat. They used cunning, courage and whatever else they could muster to keep the fight going in the hopes that something would happen to turn the tide. Finally Lee accepted that any more slaughter would be pointless and surrendered at Appomattox court house in April of 1865.
The devil is a defeated foe. There is no reason any believer should fall for his devices. However he will never accept his defeat until he is thrown into the lake of fire at the end of the age. Until that time he will use everything he can against us to win whatever battles he can. We don’t have to let that happen.
If we will learn the Word of God and be sensitive to the Spirit of God we can win every battle we face. There will be battles. That is unavoidable, but they are battles we can win decisively. We simply cannot give in to the devil’s devices. This scripture says we must not be ignorant. We must understand that they do exist and we must learn from the Word and by the Spirit how to defeat them.
Tomorrow and Friday we will look at some areas where and how the devil uses his devices, his wiles. Today, remember, you are fighting a defeated foe. Even if he should beat you temporarily, in the end you can and will win. Jesus made sure that you could.
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